‘One of the most influential characters in history’: How HSM’s Troy Bolton changed the lives of two Hollywood breakout stars forever

Zac Efron may be all grown up now (and, whoa, does he have some muscles), but no one can ever forget his performance as Troy Bolton in High School Musical. And, as it turns out, two young actors whose stars are rising were also so heavily influenced by this iconic character that they decided to pursue their big acting dreams.

Drew Starkey told Dazed Digital, “I got a little bit of Troy Bolton in me.” Like the teen who put Efron on the map, Starkey shared, “basketball was my first love.” He explained that he spoke to his father, the Kent State University women’s basketball coach, about the path he wanted his life to take. He said, “No, Dad, I want to sing and dance, you know, I’m meant to be an actor.”

HSM fans loved hearing this. One X user wrote, “troy is truly one of the most influential characters in cinema history.” She added, “girls wanted to be with him, boys wanted to be him.” Another X user asked, “when are we going to talk about the impact troy bolton has on our society.”

Starkey isn’t the only one who loves Troy! Efron’s The Iron Claw co-star Harris Dickinson shared in an interview with Variety that Efron’s performance helped him figure out what he wanted to do with his life. He was torn between the Marines and theater and said, “this is incredibly cheesy and vulnerable – but I remember thinking, ‘Oh, if Troy Bolton can do it…'”

It’s not a surprise that both actors were so influenced by Troy. Picture this: the year was 2006, the first High School Musical movie premiered on the Disney Channel, and Efron’s character’s swagger and sweetness was clear from his first introduction.

Like many teen drama characters who came before and after him, Troy is a talented athlete who also can seriously sing. His love story with Gabriella Montez (played by his now ex Vanessa Hudgens) was a key part of the plot. But Troy’s athletic prowess and musical talent were always at war with each other. His ultimate decision to let himself love both these parts of himself was one of the most moving parts of the last movie. And let’s not forget his perfectly swoopy hair. It just fell so nicely on his forehead. There is always so much nostalgia in the air for High School Musical that it’s no wonder fans continue to wonder if a new movie will be made.

It looks like Troy cast a magical spell on Starkey and Dickinson, whose careers are both more than a little bit impressive. The former starred in the teen dramas The Hate U Give and Love, Simon along with the 2024 William S. Burroughs novella adaptation Queer. And no one can forget his turn as Rafe Cameron on Outer Banks. The latter is currently getting everyone talking as Nicole Kidman’s much younger love interest in Babygirl and also appeared in the 2023 miniseries A Murder At The End of the World.

Dickinson was born in 1996 and would have been 10 when the first HSM film came out, and Starkey, who was born there years earlier, was 13. Those were the perfect ages to be motivated by a teenage character’s coming-of-age storyline and desire to follow his two dreams. And now we’re all reminded to rewatch the whole High School Musical series from start to finish. That’s never a bad idea.